Volume 3, Issue 30 by Tidbits of Niagara Region

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The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read

Week of February 3rd 2019

Volume 3, Issue #30

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TIDBITS® CELEBRATES

CHINESE NEW YEAR by Kathy Wolfe

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February 5th marks the beginning of the observation of the Chinese New Year. This week, Tidbits celebrates the occasion with this collection of facts. • The date of the Chinese New Year changes every year, because it follows the lunar calendar, based on the moon’s movements. It will always fall somewhere between January 21 and February 20, and will usually fall on the second new moon after the Winter Solstice. • The Chinese New Year calendar follows a 12year cycle, with each new year named after an animal. The Chinese animal zodiac in order is rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig, with 2019 being a pig year. Besides the animal designation, each year also cycles through the five elements of nature – Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Metal. The Chinese believe that each animal sign has characteristics for those born under the sign, similar to the zodiac signs of Western astrology. However, the Chinese zodiac animals are not associated with constellations and are based on years, rather than months, and represent how others perceive a person or how that person presents himself or herself. • Even though the celebration falls in the middle of Winter, it is traditionally known as “Spring Festival.” This is because it is the turn the page for more!

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To the ancient Greeks, it was the concept of hospitality, generosity, and courtesy shown to those far from home. To the botanist, it’s the effect of pollen on a seed. And to those in Ohio, Page 2 it’s the county seat of Greene County, a community about 21 miles (34 km) from Dayton. • Xystus is an architectural term, referring to a long, covered portico, or main entrance, of ancient Greek gymnasiums. Here, athletes would exercise during inclement weather. To the Romans, the xystus was the garden walkway in front of the porticoes, where they planted flower beds. • Physicians are familiar with two unusual “X” words, xyster and xiphisterna. The xyster is a surgical instrument used for scraping bones, while the xiphisterna refers to the cartilage at the lower end of the body’s sternum, that long flat bone located at the center of the chest. • The Greek word xanthos translates “yellow,” and several of our words use it for a prefix. Xanthophyll is a yellow pigment found along with cholorophyll in green plants. Plants with yellow stems are xanthopous. To those suffering from the abnormal vision condition known as xanthopsia, everything they see seems to have a yellow hue.

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CHINESE NEW YEAR (cont’d): “Start of Spring,” marking the end of the coldest part of winter, when the Chinese begin to look forward to Spring. • About one-quarter of the world’s population celebrates Chinese New Year, including 1.3 billion people in China, 90 million in Vietnam, and 50 million in South Korea. Most of the countries celebrating have a three-day public holiday, and Chinese schools are closed for a month. • The festival itself lasts for 15 days, with the first day starting with the new moon, and ending on the full moon. New Year’s Eve is a celebration to honor family, ancestors, and heavenly and sacred deities with a reunion dinner, the most important dinner of the year, usually held at the home of the oldest member of the extended family. The menu is large and elaborate, and ritual sacrifices of food are offered to gods and ancestors. Many don’t eat meat at that feast, believing that abstaining on the first day will ensure a long and happy life, and purify and cleanse the body. This also reinforces the belief that nothing should be killed on the first day of the new year. • Fireworks are lit at midnight, as the noise and lights are believed to ward off demons and evil spirits in the coming year. Since China produces 90% of the world’s fireworks, it’s no surprise that the New Year’s Eve fireworks displays are the largest in the world. • At midnight on New Year’s Eve, every window and door in each home is opened to allow the old year to go out. • The new year is symbolic of letting go of the past and welcoming new beginnings. It’s a tradition to thoroughly clean the home in preparation for the holiday, in order to rid it of any bad feelings that have accumulated there over the past year. The cleaning also satisfies the gods who traditionally come down from heaven for an inspection. Failure to clean can bring bad luck to the family. However, on New Year’s Day, no sweeping or dusting is allowed in a Chinese home due to the fear that good luck and fortune will be swept away. Traditionalists (continued on next page)

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HOW TO RECOGNIZE SKIN AND FOOD ALLERGIES IN DOGS Allergies can affect anyone, even the family dog. According to the American Kennel Club, various types of allergies can affect dogs. Skin allergies and food allergies can be very unpleasant. And just like their owners, dogs may be vulnerable to environmental allergens like dust, pollen and mold. Learning about allergies and how to recognize them in dogs can help pet owners ensure their four-legged friends live as happily and as comfortably as possible. Skin allergies The most common type of allergic reactions in dogs, skin allergies, also referred to as “allergic dermatitis,” are caused by flea allergy dermatitis, food allergies or environmental allergies. Flea allergy dermatitis is an allergic reaction to flea bites. Dogs may be allergic to flea saliva, which can make them very itchy, particularly at the base of their tails. As dogs scratch their itches, their skin can become red and inflamed and may scab over. The AKC notes that itchy skin may also be a byproduct of food allergies or sensitivities to certain foods. In such instances, the most common places dogs will itch are their ears and paws. Itchiness also may be accompanied by gastrointestinal issues. Dogs that only seem to itch their skin during certain times of the year may be dealing with skin allergies resulting from environmental allergens like dust, pollen and mold. The ears and paws are the most commonly affected areas in these instances, though dogs also may feel itchiness in other areas, such as their wrists, ankles, muzzle, underarms, groin, around their eyes, and in between their toes. Food allergies and sensitivities The AKC notes that food allergies may not be as common as people think. In many instances, food sensitivities are to blame for many symptoms dogs exhibit. If the veterinarian suspects a dog has a food sensitivity, he or she will work with dog owners to identify the ingredient that is causing a reaction. Both food allergies and food sensitivities can trigger gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and/or vomiting. Skin conditions like hives and facial swelling may be indicative of an allergy. Itchiness, poor skin and coat, and chronic ear or foot infections are among the symptoms of food sensitivities noted by the AKC. Diagnosing allergies in dogs can be complicated. Veterinarians may first try to rule out other conditions that may be causing symptoms in your dog. If the vet suspects an allergy, he or she may try to confirm this by utilizing an elimination diet that restricts what the dog eats for 12 weeks. Learn more about dogs and allergies at www.akc.org. Did You Know? A Fresh Coat of Paint Can Increase the Value of Your Home!

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CHINESE NEW YEAR (cont’d): also do not wash their hair on that day, for fear that good luck will be washed away. • The second day of the festival is set aside for kindness to the animal of the year. Since 2019 is the year of the pig, it’s an old Chinese belief Day Two of the new year is the birthday of all pigs, and people should be especially kind to pigs on that day. • On days three and four, sons-in-law pay respect to their wife’s parents. On the fifth day, brooms and dust pans can once again be brought out, but dirt can only be removed through the home’s back door. The day is spent at home, as it is considered bad luck to visit anyone on that day. On days six through ten, folks are free to call on their loved ones and to visit the temple to pray for good fortune. • Day 7 honors the birthday of all humans, with a drink concocted from seven types of vegetables consumed to celebrate. The day’s menu is raw fish to promote success, and long uncut noodles that represent long life. • The pomegranate is a traditional fruit during Chinese New Year, because its many seeds symbolize fertility. The orange is also treasured because it represents good luck. • The color red is prominent throughout Chinese New Year celebrations. It’s the symbol of fire, which is believed to ward off evil spirits and prevent bad luck. Red also denotes happiness, wealth, and prosperity. People wear red clothing, homes and city streets are decorated (continued on next page)

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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR MEDICATION

Dear Savvy Senior, I take several medications for multiple health conditions and the prices keep going up, even with insurance. Can you recommend any tips that can help me save? Price-Gouged Patty Dear Patty, The rising cost of prescription drugs is a problem that stings millions of Americans. While there’s no one solution, there are some different strategies and resources that can help reduce your drug costs, so you can afford what you need. Here are several to consider. If you have insurance, know your drug formulary: Most drug plans today have formularies (a list of medications they cover) that place drugs into different “tiers.” Drugs in each tier have a different cost. A drug in a lower tier will generally cost you less than a drug in a higher tier, and higher tier drugs may require you to get permission or try another medication first before you can use it. To get a copy of your plan’s formulary, visit your drug plan’s website or call the 800 number on the back of your insurance card. Once you have this information, share it with your doctor so, if possible, he or she can prescribe you medications in the lower-cost tiers. Or, they can help you get coverage approval from your insurer if you need a more expensive drug. You also need to find out if your drug plan offers preferred pharmacies or offers a mail-order service. Buying your meds from these sources can save you some money too. Talk to your doctor: Ask your doctor if any of the medications you’re currently taking can be reduced or stopped. And, find out if the ones you are taking are available in generic form. About 80 percent of all premium drugs on the market today have a lower-cost alternative. Switching could save you between 20 and 90 percent. Ask for a three-month prescription: This can be significantly cheaper for drugs you take long-term. If you use insurance, you’ll pay one co-pay rather than three. Split your pills: Ask your doctor if the pills you’re taking can be cut in half. Pill splitting allows you to get two months’ worth of medicine for the price of one. If you do this, you’ll need to get a prescription from your doctor for twice the dosage you need. Find and use online discounts: Start by trying GoodRx.com, BlinkHealth.com or WeRx.org. They will ask for the name of the drug, the dose, the number of pills, and where you live. Then they will show you what you can expect to pay at various pharmacies if you use their discount coupons or vouchers, which you can print out or download to your phone to show a pharmacist. Pay cash: Most generic medications cost less if you don’t use your insurance. For example, chains like Target and Walmart offer discount-drug programs that sell generics for as little as $4 for a 30-day supply (continued in next column)

CHINESE NEW YEAR (cont’d): with red lanterns and red paper cuttings, and children receive red envelopes full of money. The dollar amount of the gift cannot be divisible by 4 because in the Chinese culture, that number means death. Folks even paint their doors and window jams red to chase away bad luck. • Chinese tradition dictates that whatever a person does on New Year’s Day will set the standard for the remainder of the year. A person borrowing money on New Year’s Day will be borrowing all year long. Likewise, a person who lends money will be lending all year long. Parents don’t spank their children, believing that a child who cries on New Year’s Day will cry all year. • Traditional greetings throughout the festival include: “May you realize your ambitions,” “May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits,” “May your wealth come to fill a hall,” and “May your happiness and longevity be complete.” • The 15th and final day of the New Year celebration ushers in the Lantern Festival, which falls on the night of the first full moon of the Chinese New Year. People walk the streets carrying lanterns, lanterns are put up for decoration, let loose into the air, and floated in rivers. They are a symbol of lighting the way for the New Year.

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SAVE MONEY ON MEDS (cont’d) and $10 for a 90-day supply if you pay out-of-pocket. While some insurance companies charge a $10 copay for a 30-day supply. Also ask your pharmacy if they offer a drug discount card program and compare costs with your insurance plan. You can also find free drug discount cards online at sites like NeedyMeds.org, which can be used at most U.S. pharmacies. Shop online: You can also save by using an online pharmacy like HealthWarehouse.com but be sure to use an online retailer that operates within the U.S. and is licensed. The site should display the VIPPS symbol, which shows it’s a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site.

Answers on Page 7

Search for drug assistance programs: If your income is limited, you can probably get help through drug assistance programs offered through pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and charitable organizations. To find these types of programs use sites like BenefitsCheckUp.org, PatientAdvocate.org, RxAssist.org and NeedyMeds.org. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Answers on Page 7

1. How many of the top five spots for intentional walks for a season does Barry Bonds hold? 2. Entering 2019, Washington’s Max Scherzer had struck out 250 or more batters for how many consecutive seasons? 3. Since the 1970 merger, six rookies have led the NFL in rushing for a season. Name three of them. 4. In 2018, Jay Wright became the winningest men’s basketball coach (career victories) in Villanova history. Who are second and third on the list? 5. Who are the only two Russian-born winners of the NHL’s Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs)? 6. In how many different seasons has Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton recorded at least 10 victories? 7. Name the last country to repeat as tennis’ Davis Cup champion. (c) 2019 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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This week, Tidbits delves into the life of the “Master of Suspense,” the creator of the classic film Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock. • Born in the living quarters above his parents’ east London grocery store, Alfred Hitchcock was a solitary child, inventing games and drawing maps by himself. He later remarked that he couldn’t remember ever having a playmate. When Hitchcock was five years old, his very strict father sent him to the local police station, carrying a note that read, “This is what we do to naughty boys,” giving instructions to the police to lock Alfred in a cell for five minutes. The result was Hitchcock’s life-long fear of policemen, a phobia so extreme that Hitchcock refused to drive a car out of fear of parking tickets. • Hitchcock suffered from a glandular disorder which resulted in childhood obesity, a condition that further increased his lack of friends. • As a teen, Hitchcock enrolled in night classes in engineering, mechanics, and navigation, with the intent of becoming an engineer. However, his father’s death forced young Alfred into the work force as a clerk at a telegraph company. He later adjusted his studies to art history, painting, and economics. • At age 20, he became an editor and manager of the telegraph company’s in-house publication, which published a number of short stories Hitchcock had written. He expanded his interests to photography and film production. A year later, he took a job as a title card designer at a fledgling company that would become Paramount Pictures. Five years later, he was producing silent films for the company. At age 28, (continued on next page)

Solution on page 8

The evil dragon often seen in Chinese New Year parades is named Nian. The beast emerges from his hiding place on New Year’s Eve,but is warded off by lighting bamboo stalks on fire.

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Tidbits® of Niagara Region

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ALFRED HITCHCOCK (cont’d): he achieved critical success with The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. Two years later, he had 10 films under his belt. • After 10 years of success in England, Hitchcock made the move to Hollywood, where his first film, Rebecca,” (1940) received an Oscar for Best Picture. • Hitchcock’s real fame came in the 1950s, with the classic thrillers Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, and Psycho. Psycho, his best known and most profitable film, broke box office records around the world, and received four Oscar nominations. Its shower scene is considered one of the most terrifying scenes in cinema. In Hitchcock’s words, “33% of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.” Hitchcock used Hershey’s syrup for blood in the black-and-white film because it showed up better on camera. • Despite Paramount’s reluctance to produce Psycho, Hitchcock was adamant about making it, and deferred his $250,000 salary, instead settling for 60% of the film’s gross. The studio believed the film would be a dud, and agreed to the percentage. Hitchcock ended up with more than $15 million in earnings from the blockbuster hit, which would be about $120 million in today’s dollars. • Three years after Psycho, Hitchcock further terrified moviegoers with The Birds, as waves of violent birds attacked a small California community. • The filmmaker had a trademark of making cameo appearances in his movies, seen for just a brief moment in a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” appearance in 39 of his films. • Hitchcock made the move into television in 1955, hosting Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a series of thrillers and mysteries, until 1965. The opening credit featured a silhouette of his stout profile and a spooky spoken “Good evening.” • Hitchcock was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in January of 1980, and passed away just four months later.

Answers on Page 7

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MAPLE SYRUP

IS BIG AND TALL PATIENT GETTING PETITE-size meds? DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 71 years old, stand 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weigh 325 pounds. The “average” person is half my size, yet when I get medication for various ailments (e.g., gout, pain, flu shots, etc.) I get the standard dose. I assume I have more physical mass as well as a larger blood supply, which leads me to the conclusion that I am receiving a smaller concentration of medicine than the typical patient. Am I correct? -- M.K. ANSWER: All medicines have concentrations at which they work optimally. Too low a dose and they aren’t effective, and too high a dose increases risk of toxicity. Some drugs have a very small range that’s both effective and nontoxic, and these are referred to as having a “narrow toxic to therapeutic ratio.” Others have a very large range where they are effective and nontoxic, such as most over-the-counter pain medicines and flu shots. Penicillin has a very wide toxic to therapeutic ratio, but I use that example precisely because some people will have an allergic reaction. There is no drug -prescribed, over-the-counter or supplement -- that is either perfectly safe while being effective, or perfectly effective while being safe, for every person. The concentration of the drug in the appropriate area of the body (sometimes blood, sometimes the affected organ, sometimes urine) may depend on the dose as well as your characteristics. Despite being much larger than average, your blood volume is probably only a little above the average, since the increased bone mass, muscle mass and, in most people your size, fat mass are disproportionate to the blood. Some medicines go to the blood, others to “lean body mass” and still others preferentially to fat. So while you are correct that you are getting a smaller concentration of medicine, that’s still OK most of the time. For medications that need to be dosed precisely, those with a narrow toxic to therapeutic ratio (such as some antibiotics, heart medication and chemotherapy), the dosing is based on height, weight, age and sometimes kidney and liver function. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 80 years old, in good health with no cancer in the family. Up to now, I have always had regular Pap smears and mammograms. Now I am aware that there are different thoughts as to whether those tests are needed at my age. What is your advice? -- J.G. ANSWER: For Pap smears, there is very good evidence that women who have never had any problems with their Pap smears by age 65 are very unlikely to ever develop any, and I agree with the recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to stop them at age 65. Mammograms are more controversial, but my personal practice is to continue to recommend them for most women until about age 75. I stop recommending mammograms to women when they have an underlying medical condition that makes it unlikely that they will receive benefit from continued screening. Deciding when that is takes some experience and a lot of discussion with the patient and sometimes her family. There is no absolute age cutoff for mammograms, and getting a mammogram on a healthy 80-year-old might make sense. Getting a mammogram on a woman with incurable lung cancer, for example, does not. *** Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu. (c) 2019 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

February 6 is Canadian Maple Syrup Day, and Tidbits is dipping into the pot of information about this sticky commodity. • That delicious syrup we pour on our pancakes and waffles is a pretty expensive item because it’s extremely labor intensive to make. A bottle of syrup has its beginnings in a sugar maple, red maple, or black maple tree, although a few other species might be used. The trees accumulate starch in the sap in their trunks and roots before and during winter. The starch converts to sugar, which rises in late winter and early spring. A tree can produce sap for 100 years! • The sap is tapped by drilling holes into the tree trunk. The sap is no longer collected using a spout and a bucket, but rather with suction pumps and tubes, which makes the process much more efficient. The sap, which consists of about 95% water and 5% sugar, is then processed by heating to evaporate most of the water, leaving behind a concentrated syrup. The boiling process is a delicate one, since syrup boiled too long will eventually crystallize, and if it’s not boiled long enough, it will quickly spoil. • In days gone by, sap was moved to a “sugar shack,” a building cooled by a river, then boiled in large cauldrons, which were frequently stirred to prevent crystallization. • Maple syrup was discovered centuries ago by Native Americans. Legend has it that a tribal chief threw a tomahawk at a maple tree, and the sap began to flow. The liquid was collected, and the chief, believing it was water, gave it to his wife to cook up some venison, resulting in a delicious, maple-flavored meat. The Natives showed the extraction process to European settlers. The first written reference to the produc(continued on next page)

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES SPORTS QUIZ ANSWERS 1. He holds the top three, including a record 120 intentional walks in 2004. 2. Five (2014-18). 3. Earl Campbell (1978), George Rogers (1981), Eric Dickerson (1983), Edgerrin James (1999), Ezekiel Elliott (2016) and Kareem Hunt (2017). 4. Alexander Severance (413 wins in 25 seasons) and Rollie Massimino (357 wins in 19 seasons). 5. Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin (2009) and Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin (2018). 6. Four times (2014, ‘15, ‘16 and ‘18). 7. Czech Republic (2012-13)

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MAPLE SYRUP (cont’d): tion of maple syrup was in 1606. • It takes 40 years for a tree to grow enough to produce sap. A single tree yields about 40 gallons of sap a year, which may sound like a lot, but consider the fact that it takes 43 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of syrup. That’s just one gallon of syrup per tree per year! No wonder a 32-oz. (0.95 liter) jug of syrup retails for around $25. • If stored properly, a sealed, unopened jug of maple syrup can keep for several years. • So why are Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth’s, and Aunt Jemima syrups so inexpensive? Because they don’t contain actual pure maple syrup! Their primary ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, with some molasses and artificial caramel color added. Unless the label says “pure maple syrup,” that’s not what you’re getting! • The Canadian province of Quebec produces about 70% of the world’s maple syrup, about 6.5 million gallons (5.4 million Brit. Gal) a year, with exports of about $360 million US dollars ($487 million Canadian). Another 10% comes from Ontario. There are 13 species of maple trees native to Canada, but the sugar, red, and black are the primary sources of syrup, as their sugar content is the highest. • Vermont is America’s largest producer of syrup, about 6% of the world’s supply. A smaller amount comes from the state of Maine. • Pure maple syrup is not only delicious, it’s good for you! Each quarter cup gives you a healthy dose of manganese, riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, along with 65 different antioxidants.

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